Day four of the baseball tournament in Gillette began for the Alliance senior team with a rematch with Sanford. The Spartans got some sweet revenge of the Sports Academy with an 8 to 3 victory. On Thursday, the Peltz Co was defeated by the Sioux Falls team 9 to 1. Alliance used a big third inning in getting the W. On Sunday, the Seniors got solid starting pitching from Kegan Rodriguez and 2 plus strong frames from reliever Carver Nemnich. Alliance hammered out 13 hits and were led by three knocks each from Mikey Johnson and Jaxson Esparza.
Things started off well for the Spartans in the first with hits from Jaxon Poss and Espen Lanik. Both runners were unfortunately left on the base path. Sanford put the first tally on the board in the bottom of the first, using 2 singles and an error by Alliance to take a 1 to 0 lead. In the second, once again the Peltz Co had a chance to break through. Knocks by Johnson and Esparza gave the Seniors hope but Alliance didn’t score. Rodriguez had a scoreless inning on the bump for the Spartans in the home half. After 2 innings of action, the Sports Academy was ahead 1 to 0.
Bats for the Peltz Co came alive in the top of the third as Alliance plated 6 runs. The spree started with hits by Lanik and Nemnich. Alliance then took the lead after a 2 run single by Creighton Fritzler. Esparza was next and his hit continued the rally. A sac bunt by Nason Thompson made it a 3 to 1 ball game. Run #4 came after singles by Kobe Strom and Johnson. The action then came to an end with a 2 RBI hit by Poss. Sanford won’t score in their at bat in the third and the battle went to the fourth with Alliance up 6 to 1.
No scores were tallied in the fourth. An RBI double by Johnson in the top of the fifth then gave the Peltz Co a 6 run cushion. The Academy answered with 2 in the home half to close to within 4 at 7 to 3. In the sixth, no runs were recorded by either side. Alliance got one score in their last at bat in the seventh thanks to a hit by Esparza and a wild pitch. Sioux Falls were down silently in the bottom of the finale as the Spartans took the win 8 to 3.
Seniors 0 0 6 0 1 0 1 8
Sanford Red 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3
Thirteen hits for the Peltz Co three apiece Johnson, Esparza, two each Poss, Lanik, one for Nemnich, Fritzler, and Strom.